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I have lived in the state of Oklahoma my entire life and I have talked to many diverse groups about their opinions regarding confederate symbols in society. Many people see the confederate symbols as a deliberate association with white supremacists, which is understandable.

When we see a hate group, like in Charlottesville, that wrap the confederate flag around their body with a swastika printed on their chest. It is understandable why some people come to the conclusion that confederate symbols in society are reflecting white supremacy. It is also important to understand that we can not stereotype

My interpretation of confederate symbols, or the confederate flag, is a sign of treason. Some see the confederate symbols as a sign of heritage, or a significant part of American history that should not be torn down by a knee jerk response.

A rather good example is Takiyah Thompson, a communist party sympathizer, who put the noose around the monument in Charlottesville. Takiyah Thompson is part of the members of the Workers World Party (WWP). She said in an interview with ABC11,” We are tired of waiting on politicians who could have voted to remove the white supremacist statues years ago, but they failed to act. So we acted”

Following that response it appears she has little regard for a democratic society. As an American I feel astonished that a group of communists, in America, feel they have the right to disregard democracy and have the authority to act how they see fit.

Additionally Nancy Pelosi (D) called for the removal of all confederate statues in the capital and she told the Washington Post that the statues should “embody our highest ideals as Americans, expressing who we are and what we aspire to be as a nation.” I do not disagree with this sentiment but I find it odd that Nancy Pelosi, who has served for 30 years, is now jumping on the political bandwagon at the crux of issue.

In conclusion, people need to be judged as individuals. While one group of people find the confederate flag as a sign of hatred, others see the flag as a symbol of the South or home. We cannot be black and white in this issue. We should not have a knee jerk reaction to label a certain group because another group picks the flag as their symbol. Instead, we should learn from our history. We need to come to an understanding of the past in order to never let this great nation fall back into the same conflict and leave it up to democracy to determine the fate of the issue.

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